For one glorious afternoon of remission Portsmouth were not confronted with the prospect of the annulment of their Premier League status. Talk of takeovers, transfer embargoes and loans to pay players' wages were put on hold and Portsmouth, however briefly, became a football team once again.

They even dispelled the quirky stat that they had the worst record for shooting accuracy in the division (just 33% on target) as Aruna Dindane scored a hat-trick and Frédéric Piquionne another goal to present the club with their first home win of the season; a Portsmouth forward had not scored before this.

With wages paid and a fragile stability in view their genial manager, Paul Hart, was asked what it felt like to be an ordinary football club. "That's important," he said. He has been typecast as a loser this season and seemed unsure of his new lines. After losing their first seven matches of the season Portsmouth were hurtling down at a rate that would have surprised even Sir Isaac Newton.

"We're still bottom and at the end of the season we'll be where we will be but I maintain the belief that it will be in a safe position," Hart added.

"We might not always do things right but to a man, the whole squad – and we had only 14 or 15 players at the start of the season, playing in extremely difficult situations – to a man even then they were giving everything and I have massive respect for the players at this football club, the new ones and the ones that were here before."

On Saturday night it was Roberto Martínez, the Wigan Athletic manager, who looked the more uncomfortable as he was questioned about the jailing of Marlon King and an interview in which he was quoted as being critical of Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Some parts were made up," he said, without sounding utterly convincing. Regarding King he said: "It would be easy to use that as an excuse and say that was the reason for this display.

"There is a clause in contracts that if a player gets a three-month sentence contracts can be terminated. I know the chairman has come out and said his views, but overall it is disappointing for him [King], his family and for everyone. He has been working very hard this season to try to get his rewards on the football pitch, and then all that is stopped, so we will have to see how it develops. I don't think there is any more I can say at this moment."

Of more concern to Martínez is the maddening inconsistency of a side that has been good enough to win at Aston Villa and Burnley and to beat Chelsea yet can look as woeful as they did here. They were dire on Saturday.

"You are looking at a new group, a big turnaround in players. Now it is completely different and sometimes you need to get through these painful lessons to learn."

Dindane had been profligate (to put it kindly) against Tottenham Hotspur two weeks before but this was an exhibition of sharp shooting. He put Portsmouth ahead from Michael Brown's pass in the 35th minute before setting up Piquionne for the second on the stroke of half-time.

Two more Dindane goals in the second half, one from the spot, did not distort Portsmouth superiority. "The confidence has come for me and Frédéric Piquionne – and we can do better," said the Ivory Coast striker.